One Piece: The Strongest Trait System novel Chapter 165

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Chapter 165: [165] : A Shocked Brook! Revive-Revive Fruit Awakened! Rowen, Man of the Underworld!

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"I’m a user of the Revive-Revive Fruit. Our Rumbar Pirates were annihilated after encountering a powerful enemy. I, who had already died, was brought back when this Devil Fruit—which had shown no effect before—finally activated. My soul returned from the afterlife, but unfortunately, in this Florian Triangle, finding one’s ship isn’t easy. By the time I found my body... it was just a pile of bones."

Brook’s voice was filled with a deep, lingering sadness as he recounted his tale.

Hearing news of Laboon had made him incredibly emotional. Trusting Rowen and the Straw Hats completely, Brook had shared everything he had endured.

For so many years, Brook had been utterly alone. But now, even without seeing Laboon yet, Brook felt a warmth in his heart, a feeling of no longer being alone. ’Ah... though I have no heart, only a pile of bones.’

Hearing Brook’s story, everyone’s perception of him changed. So that’s how he ended up in this state...

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"The power of the Revive-Revive Fruit..." Rowen mused, feeling the newly equipped ability, a smile playing on his lips.

VMM!

A strange ripple emanated from Rowen.

"Eh??" Brook felt a familiar sensation, a tremor that resonated deep within his own soul. His skeletal eye sockets widened in shock.

"Th-The Revive-Revive Fruit? But WHY?" Brook subconsciously checked himself—his own Revive-Revive Fruit ability was still present.

Yet the aura radiating from the man before him was unmistakably the very same power that had resurrected him!

"Rowen is the World’s Strongest Devil Fruit user. He can possess unlimited Devil Fruit abilities!" Vivi declared, tilting her chin up proudly.

"Basically, Rowen has various ways of obtaining other people’s Devil Fruit abilities,"

Sanji added, seeing Brook was still confused, and casually showed him Rowen’s wanted poster.

Towards Brook, who had a connection with Laboon, Sanji and the others felt a natural affinity.

"Yohohoho! A wanted poster! How nostalgic!" Brook took the familiar poster and looked at it.

A single glance—and he was utterly stunned.

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"The World’s Strongest, Most Vicious Devil Fruit User!"

"The Man Who Can Steal Everything From Others. The World’s Most Dangerous Man!"

"Engaging Him Is Forbidden Without Express Orders From The World Government’s Highest Authority!"

"The Fifth Emperor, Sky Sovereign Rowen!"

"Bounty: 3,988,900,000 Beri?????"

Brook shrieked, his very soul nearly jumping out of his bones from shock. His own bounty was a mere 33 million Beri—not even a fraction of this man’s!

Though his bounty was from fifty years ago; current bounties were generally much higher due to inflation.

But nearly 4 BILLION BERI?? Brook hadn’t just never seen such a number—he’d never even HEARD of one!

And look at the description—

The World’s Strongest Devil Fruit User... The World’s Most Dangerous Man... The Fifth Emperor... Even the World Government itself was forbidden from engaging him without permission from the highest authority.

Though in Brook’s era, the Four Emperors didn’t exist yet, just the title and these descriptions, combined with that scary bounty, proved what a colossal figure this man was!

’Laboon... knows this great man?’

"That’s right! Rowen is a true SUPER great pirate!" Usopp puffed out his chest, laughing boastfully.

"And just so you know, I am hailed across the seas as the reliable right-hand man of the Fifth Emperor. Usopp the Brave! The man with a 200 million Beri bounty!"

Usopp declared, pointing to his long nose, sweating slightly from his own bravado. Claiming a 200 million bounty was still a bit nerve-wracking for the naturally timid Usopp.

"S-SUGEEEEE!"

Brook’s exaggerated reaction, however, instantly filled Usopp with immense satisfaction. ’So this is what it feels like to be a great pirate! Just the bounty alone can shock people so much—’

"Oi! Don’t get carried away! You’re the one with the lowest bounty here," Sanji commented, gently tapping Usopp on the head with his foot.

"S-Sorry," Usopp immediately apologized meekly.

"B-Lowest?? 200 million Beri is the lowest?!" Brook was stunned again.

’What kind of pirate crew did I just run into? A 200 million Beri man is the lowest here?’

But then, looking at the man with the nearly 4 billion bounty, Brook felt it was perfectly reasonable.

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"By the way, we also have a promise with Laboon," Nami interjected.

"Rowen knew you were still alive because of his natural connection to Devil Fruits. When we told Laboon, he was overjoyed. We promised Laboon we would find you and bring you back to him."

Nami herself marveled at how things worked out. As always, whatever Rowen said would happen, happened. They really had found Brook of the Rumbar Pirates.

"Laboon... is still waiting for me... He knows I’m alive!" Brook was overcome with emotion. He didn’t doubt Nami’s words for a second—Mr. Rowen being able to use his Revive-Revive Fruit power was the best proof!

"Thank you... thank you all so much," Brook murmured, his eye sockets moist.

The Revive-Revive Fruit allowed even a skeleton like Brook to experience digestion, absorption, and even shed tears.

At this moment, Brook’s gratitude towards Rowen and the Straw Hats was beyond words. If not for them, who knew what might have happened to Laboon.

"Shishishi! Then allow me to re-introduce myself! I’m Monkey D. Luffy! The man who will be King of the Pirates! Bounty: 1,035,000,000 Beri!" Luffy grinned.

"ONE BILLION??" Though shocked multiple times already, Brook’s eyes still widened at the terrifying number.

"Anyway, be our comrade! You want to see Laboon again, right?! Fulfill that promise—to circle the Grand Line and meet him again! We also made a promise to Laboon! To circle the world and bring you back to him!" Luffy declared with a wide grin.

A MUSICIAN!

This was one of Luffy’s greatest dream since setting sail.

And now a skeleton musician—And it was Brook—the one Laboon was waiting for. There could be no musician more perfect for their crew!

Because of the connection to Laboon, everyone else quickly accepted Brook, smiling warmly at him.

"I-I’d love to go... but I can’t leave this place right now," Brook’s skeletal shoulders slumped, his earlier joy replaced by dejection.

"What’s wrong??" Sanji frowned. This was the second time Brook had said this. Sanji’s Observation Haki, now quite decent, could sense Brook’s emotions.

Previously, when Brook agreed to join, it wasn’t entirely serious; he was lonely and just wanted to travel with a new crew for a while, intending to stay behind after they left the Florian Triangle.

But now, because of Laboon, Brook genuinely wanted to go with them. His current words were filled with real disappointment and despair.